James Taylor - Barrister

James is an employed barrister working across the firm’s core practice areas, with a particular focus on commercial litigation, commercial and civil fraud, insolvency and company disputes.  He acts variously as sole counsel, junior counsel and in an associate capacity on CANDEY matters.

His recent work includes:

  • ·Successfully obtaining directions for the enforceability of a CFA to be determined as a preliminary issue in detailed assessment proceedings, and drafting the claimants’ statement of case on the preliminary issues (sole counsel in the High Court, SCCO).

  • Advising on a prospective claim in breach of contract arising out of non-delivery of microwave and optical products under a supply agreement between Kazakhstani and UAE companies (sole counsel).

  • Advising the UK subsidiary of a leading Indian real estate company in relation to threatened proceedings by its former LLP partner.

  • Acting for the defendant/respondent to a worldwide freezing injunction and underlying commercial fraud claim for £5.6 million (High Court, Circuit Commercial Court (KBD)).  

  • Successfully obtaining an extension of time for compliance with directions in section 994 petition proceedings (sole counsel in the High Court, ChD)

  • Advising on whether the right to terminate was effectively excluded by the terms of a share purchase agreement, and on the contractual enforceability of a deed that had not been validly executed (sole counsel). 

  • Successfully obtaining relief from sanctions (debarring witness statements) in proceedings arising out of an investment agreement made between shareholders in a farming company (sole counsel in the High Court, Circuit Commercial Court (KBD))

  • Successfully obtaining a Norwich Pharmacal order against a leading high street bank in relation to a phishing fraud targeting an Italian clothing manufacturer (sole counsel in the High Court, ChD)

  • Successfully defending a wasted costs application in respect of applications for rescission of a winding up order and a validation order (sole counsel in the High Court, ChD)

  • Applying for costs of responding to a proprietary injunction over £20 million of litigation settlement proceeds (junior counsel in the High Court, KBD).

  • Drafting re-amendments to third party’s Defence and Counterclaim in £7.6 million claim arising out of a joint venture (High Court, KBD).

  • Drafting claim notices in respect of alleged breaches of insured warranties in a share purchase agreement, and in the same matter drafting LCIA Request for Arbitration seeking c. £5 million.

  • Advising an SME in relation to authorised push payment (APP) banking fraud. 

  • Drafting pre-action correspondence and advised in relation to prospective claims against two investment banks in respect of their early redemption of equity-linked securities.

  • Drafting ICC Request for Arbitration in a commercial dispute between a Russian oil company and a multinational conglomerate (as a pupil).

Before commencing pupillage, James was the Judicial Assistant to David Richards LJ in the Court of Appeal; and subsequently a Research Assistant in the Commercial and Common Law team at the Law Commission of England and Wales.

During his legal studies James was a Lord Denning Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn and won the Lincoln’s Inn Student Law Journal Prize.  Before converting to law James graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge with a First in history.

James was called to the Bar of England and Wales at Lincoln’s Inn in October 2021.

Email: jtaylor@candey.com